Some of the opposition parties stepped up President Saakashvili’s criticism amid report from the EU-funded fact-finding mission probing into the last year’s August war.

“We believe politically irresponsible and indiscreet decision of President Saakashvili to open fire towards Tskhinvali has jeopardized Georgian statehood and its development as a free state,” Alliance for Georgia, led by Irakli Alasania, said in a statement on October 1.

The alliance, uniting Alasania’s Our Georgia-Free Democrats, Republican and New Rights parties, also said that this decision by President Saakashvili “not only prevented Russian occupation but marked [Russia’s] massive intrusion into Georgian territory.”

“Russian Federation committed undisputable act of aggression against sovereign Georgia and occupied its territories,” Alliance for Georgia said. “This war was not unavoidable; it was a consequence of thoughtless political decisions over the years.”

It also said that the EU-commissioned report “has not changed internal political agenda.”

“Government has to be changed peacefully and constitutionally through free and fair elections in immediate future,” it added.

Nino Burjanadze, former parliamentary speaker and leader of Democratic Movement-United Georgia party said that President Saakashvili should be held responsible for his decisions and called on the opposition parties to launch consultations on how “to set Georgia free of Saakashvili’s regime, so that the people can elect a truly national, accountable and state-minded leadership.”

“Considering the disastrous consequences of the August war, the Government led by the President Saakashvili must bear responsibility before the Georgian people.  It is to be liable and will be,” Burjanadze said. “President Saakashvili’s irresponsible and illegitimate actions have damaged the country’s vital interests and contributed to accomplishing those of Russian [interests], not only here in Georgia but in rest of the region as well.”

“There is no doubt that such kind of a leader has no legitimacy to remain in power,” she said.

Kakha Kukava, co-leader of the Conservative Party, suggested that the report would become “a tool for Russia to mount more pressure on Georgia.”

“And I wonder what strategy the Georgian authorities have and how they will counter those attempts by Russia,” Kukava said. He also added that

According to Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili’s interpretation, the report would trigger “further isolation of Georgia.”

“The EU special commission has unambiguously declared Georgia as an aggressor in unleashing the war. It means further international isolation of our country, irreversibility of its further disintegration, acceleration of the process of further international recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and self-destructing civil confrontation in our country at a final stage,” Natelashvili said on October 1.

Comments by lawmakers from the parliamentary minority were mostly in line with those made by the ruling party lawmakers and government representatives.